Former 400 meter world record holder Michael Johnson once said, "Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of a great opportunity." A meet like the Asics Clovis Invitational provides a multitude of opportunities for the teams and individuals competing in it, and by the end of the weekend we will know a lot more about some of the state's best. Of course, the biggest opportunities are found in the championship season, but the meet at Woodward Park on Saturday will bring together a championship-level field that can serve as an early "proving ground" for aspiring state meet contenders. Both championship races feature at least the top 3 in the state, as you can see from the previews below!
Championship Girls Preview
The top four teams in our Saucony Flo 50 state rankings will all be in the race Saturday, plus four more from the top 10! All told, 13 of the top 25 teams in that list will face off in the same race, which will really help us get ready for the next edition of the Flo 50, due out this coming week! Great Oak brings their powerful lead (Wolf)pack, led by Evelyn Mandel and Nicole Rice; their 3-5 runners stuck within 5 seconds of those two last week at Stanford. Davis Senior will try to break up that fearsome fivesome - the Blue Devils got Sofia Castiglioni and Olivia O'Keeffe in front of Great Oak's leaders last weekend, and if Abigail Fisk can join them this week the race could be considerably closer. The truly interesting part will be watching how the next tier of teams relates to those two. Buchanan has a chance to shine on their home course, and Yucaipa can build on some impressive early performances by staying within a reasonable range of the clear top 2 teams in California. Personally, I can't wait to see St. Francis (Sacramento) square off against the best in the state; the Troubadours lost to Woodcreek in their first meet and to Davis a few weeks later, but haven't faced this deep a field yet. Arcadia continues to improve after a bit of a slow start, looking more every weekend like the top 5 team we predicted them to be. Claremont, Dana Hills, Bishop Amat - the list goes on and on! It will be fun dissecting these results on Sunday and figuring out what it means for each team.
The race is just as impressive when you consider the individuals expected to be in the lead pack. Alexandra Beitia (Granite Bay) broke out with a runner-up finish at Stanford last week, and you can bet she's excited for the chance to prove the performance was no fluke. Castiglioni has seemed a bit reserved in her last few performances, and it's possible that she hasn't been fully turned loose yet - if so, it will be very interesting when she does get the full green light. Freshman Isabella Fauria (St. Francis) has been a sensation so far and has notched some impressive wins, making this a natural next step in her progression. Meagen Lowe (Buchanan) had a monster race at Woodbridge, proving that she belongs in the discussion for any race she enters. One big question about the Great Oak performance last weekend lingers: did Mandel and Rice hold back at all early in the race to help pull their pack? If that's the case, those two could still have another gear, and they should definitely be considered contenders. There are many more "big name" runners entered, so check out the virtual meet to see them all!
Championship Boys Preview
Michael Vernau (Davis Senior) beat Luis Grijalva (Armijo) at the Lagoon Valley Classic to open the season. Grijalva went on to win narrowly over Cooper Teare at Woodbridge. Then, of course, Teare defeated Vernau at Stanford last weekend. That's the kind of three-way comparison that can tie your brain in circles if you're not careful! Unfortunately, this weekend's race won't help: Teare is taking an official visit, leaving a rematch between Grijalva and Varnau as the marquee match-up. One thing is clear, at least: those three have been on an entirely different level from the rest of California's boys this season. That's why it will be just as interesting to watch the next group of runners in this race - especially if one or two of them try to bridge the gap to the top three. Expect Steven Khan (Ayala) to do just that, as he has the pedigree to prove he belongs in the lead pack. Likewise for Henry Weisberg (McQueen NV), who stayed closest to Teare & Varnau in Palo Alto. A handful of talented veterans will try to use this race as a springboard for their state meet aspirations, chiefly Jack Landgraf (Dana Hills) and Miguel Villar (Madera South). In contrast, Evert Silva (Fresno) will have another chance to get his name out to anyone who hasn't already noticed the great season he is having. There are more names we could mention here, but you can check the virtual meet to see them all!
The boys' race doesn't have 8 of the top 10 teams in the Saucony Flo 50 state rankings like the girls' race does, but we will see 11 of the top 25 compete together, and that's still pretty amazing. Great Oak has won with depth this season, although Jacob Korgan has quietly been creeping up toward the top level of individual runners. Dana Hills is working toward getting back into the top 5, and a strong performance in this race could be the boost of confidence the Dolphins need to take the next step for the championship season. Claremont has had some strong performances this season, but seeing them against this group of California teams will help us get a fix on just how good they are. Madera South has been a bit puzzling this season - the Stallions haven't been quite as strong as I thought they might be, but that could be due to heavy training. If so, we should start to see their true strength emerging soon. The best team in the Sac Joaquin Section, Jesuit, wants to improve their state meet prospects with a strong meet Saturday. Yucaipa, Mission Viejo, Arcadia, and California are all gearing up to try to get out of the ultracompetitive Southern Section, hoping that the promise of a return to Woodward Park will be a powerful motivator.